Harris can become America’s first Black female president if…
By Ray Richardson
and Janice Hayes Kyser
Contributing Writers
LOS ANGELES – When President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him in the White House, the prevailing question among many political analysts was straightforward: “Can she win?”
Days after Biden ended his re-election bid, the enthusiastic reply from many activists and influencers seems to be a resounding, “Yes, she can!”
ANALYSIS
An unparalleled display of support for Harris, financially and politically, has validated Harris as a legitimate and formidable candidate to become the first Black and Asian-American woman to serve as president of the United States.
“She can win this,” California Sen. LaPhonsa Butler said of Harris in an interview on ABC-TV. “She’s a leader of integrity, justice and truth, exactly the opposite of the candidate she’s facing in November. Americans are going to choose a pathway and a vision for exactly that kind of leadership.”
The consensus among many political observers is this: Harris can win if she successfully does these three things:
• Inspire and mobilize women voters, who typically outpace men both in voter registration and turnout.
• Continue to excite Black voters and increase Black voter turnout — factors that were widely seen as key to the Biden-Harris victory in 2020.
• Convincingly prosecute the case against Donald Trump, a convicted felon.
“Kamala can win if she’s able to galvanize women,” said Karen Mack, founder of LA Commons, a Community Partners organization based in Leimert Park. “Trump’s Achilles’ heel is women when it comes to abortion and his treatment of women. Kamala has the potential to galvanize not only Black women, but all women.”
Rev. William Smart, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, said Harris also can inspire and excite Black voters in a virtually unprecedented way.
“African Americans are getting involved like never before and that’s what it will take for her to win,” Smart said. “Things are happening. It’s her time. There’s so much excitement for Harris now. She’s opening up a new path to victory and the Republicans are scared. Kamala is causing a major shakeup that’s long overdue.”
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, called Harris’ bid for the presidency “a seminal time” in American history.
“We have a chance to bring our country together under a Black woman who understands the White House and understands how to provide leadership on huge issues,” Waters said.
A new CNN poll released July 24 indicates that voters are reacting to Harris’ emergence as the Democratic candidate, particularly Black voters who may have been uninspired by Biden. Trump once had as much as a 6% lead over Biden in many polls.
Since Biden stepped down, the new CNN poll revealed that support among Black voters for the Democratic ticket has surged 8%. Among general voters ages 18-34, Harris has generated a 5% increase.
Harris, who served as California’s attorney general and represented the state in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president, also appears to be winning the race for dollars and supporters. Within four days of Harris announcing her intent on July 21 to run against Trump, more than $200 million was raised to support her bid and at least 31,000 new volunteers across the country had signed up to work with her campaign.
Top-level Democratic officials endorsed Harris and all of California’s 1,976 delegates have pledged to submit their names on nomination ballots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Aug. 19-22.
California delegates will formally endorse Harris during a virtual roll call that will be scheduled sometime before Aug. 7.
“The (Democratic) party was yearning for unity and direction,” said attorney Areva Martin, an appointed California delegate. “We needed to come together quickly. It was incredibly important to get this done now so we wouldn’t have a fractured convention. This is no time for in-fighting.”
California delegate Jasmyne Cannick, a political strategist and elected member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party delegation, said the work to appeal to state voters on Harris’ behalf has already begun.
The 54 electoral college votes in California will be critical to the overall total of 271 that Harris needs to secure the presidency.
“Absolutely, Vice President Kamala Harris can win,” Cannick said in a statement to The Wave. “For Democrats in California, we already know which way California and its electoral college votes are going to go. If we are really invested in making it across the finish line, we are going to need to put in the work in the swing states and help those Democrats.”
Coalitions around the country wasted little time in initiating a movement for Harris.
Within hours of Biden’s announcement to step out of the race, some 44,000 Black women participated in a Zoom call to plan strategy and support for Harris. The call generated $1.5 million.
A day later, more than 20,000 Black men gathered on a virtual call on July 22 to discuss their plans, a call resulting in more than $1.2 million in donations, according to organizers.
Although skeptics claim Harris has not been visible enough during her three years as vice president, many people are touting her extensive background in the legal industry and public office.
“In a debate, she will prosecute Trump like she did with criminals here in California,” said Royce Esters, president of the National Association for Equal Justice in America.
Community activist Starlett Quarles, president of Los Angeles-based Urban X Marketing, said Harris will win because she “will not only appeal to the Black vote, but to the white women vote.”
“And I can’t wait to see her on the debate stage,” Quarles added. “Donald Trump won’t be able to handle her. Kamala is a prosecutor and a strong Black woman. She’s going to bring out the ancestors.”
Ray Richardson and Janice Hayes Kyser are contributing writers for The Wave.
